David Arquette is sharing his reaction to his Scream OG co-star Neve Campbell announcing her non-return to the franchise for the next movie. “I’d love for her to be a part of it. A Scream movie without Sidney (Neve’s character) is kind of unfortunate, but I understand her decision,” David said during a Monday, June 6, interview with ComicBook.
“It’s all a business in a way, they have to balance all these elements to fit a budget and produce a film. I get it, she’s still alive!” he added. “She [can] absolutely be in future ones, but I think it’s up to fans to call for that in the future. I respect her decision, for sure.”
Never previously admitted to being apprehensive about joining Scream 5 since it was the first without original Scream creator Wes Craven‘s involvement (the writer-director died in 2015 from brain cancer at 76). Her final decision ultimately came due to a salary dispute.
“Sadly, I won’t be making the next Scream film,” Neve said in a statement to HollywoodLife. “As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”
She added, “It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my Scream fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”
David, on the other hand, noted how he wasn’t “looped in” to the casting for Scream 6, considering how his character — SPOILER — was killed off in the last movie.
As for whether or not David’s ex, Courteney Cox, will be returning as Gale Weathers for the next film, that remains to be seen. Back in May 2022, Courteney confirmed she had seen a script but nothing was set in stone. “I don’t know about contracts and where things are, but I’ll tell you in the script — it’s a really good one,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “You actually have to be killed if you talk about it, so I’m not gonna say anything.”
The sixth Scream movie is set to be released on March 31, 2023. While Neve is not returning, Hayden Panetierre’s fan-favorite Scream 4 character, Kirby Reed, will be. She joins the cast alongside new franchise cast members Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding.